Woodbridge vs. Beckman PCL baseball game on Monday could turn into a pitcher’s duel

Jack Bunnell is expected to start Monday’s game for Woodbridge. (File photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

The Pacific Coast League baseball season resumes Monday with three makeup games. Friday’s entire schedule was postponed because of poor field conditions. (To read the PCL rule on rainouts, please click here)

League leader Beckman (7-2, 2-0) hosts Woodbridge (5-5, 0-2) at 3:30 p.m., Portola (4-4, 1-1) is at Northwood (1-4-1, 1-1) and Irvine (6-2, 1-1) is at University (4-3, 1-1).

The Woodbridge-Beckman game could feature a pitching duel between two outstanding pitchers.

Woodbridge sophomore Jack Bunnell (2-0) is expected to get the start. Bunnell has already thrown one no-hitter this season against Loara.

“Tomorrow will be a tough test for the Warriors,” Woodbridge Coach Ryan Brucker said Sunday. “Beckman is always a tough game. They’re a well coached group and don’t beat themselves. We are going to have to play our best game of the season.

“We haven’t done ourselves any favors starting off league 0-2. We have actually played very good defense and our pitching kept us in the first two games vs. Irvine and Northwood. We need to get our bats going and come up with some timely hits.

“It’s important that we play well to start off what is going to be a challenging three-game week in the PCL. I have the utmost confidence in our players. We have played some really good teams this pre-season which has our guys ready. I know they will be up to the task.”

Beckman Coach Kevin Lavalle said Friday that he had not decided who will start the game, but the Patriots are expected to go with left-hander Trevor Ernt, who has committed with San Jose State and is off to a great start again with the Patriots.

The juggling of the schedule with three league games in a week could also force the Patriots to change their pitching rotation.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com